technotrans on the capital market - shares

The stock market year of 2017 held various surprises in store for all market operators. Not only did stock markets perform far better than many market professionals had believed possible at the start of the year. The performance figures for individual stocks were also astonishing.

To summarise, 2017 was a positive year for investors. On the back of a 6.9 rise in 2016, the DAX climbed by more than 12 percent over 2017. The other indices advanced even more resoundingly; the MDAX, TecDAX and SDAX were up 18 percent, 39 percent and 25 percent respectively on the previous year.

technotrans shares again continued their impressive upward trend in the 2017 financial year to close at EUR 44.30 on December 29, 2017, a gain of more than 93 percent on the start of the financial year (EUR 22.90). The price performance of technotrans shares in 2017 consequently again outstripped all relevant benchmark indices (especially the SDAX and TecDAX). Market capitalisation climbed from EUR 158 million to EUR 306 million in the year under review (reporting date December 29, 2017). 2017 also saw an improvement in the trading volume of technotrans shares and therefore in its position in the TecDAX rankings. The daily trading volume rose to an average of 16,192 shares (previous year 8,993 shares).

In the first half of the year, the shares benefited both from the improving state of the market and from expectations of further economic stimuli from technotrans’ growth markets (electric mobility). In the second half of the year, the healthy first-half figures and the upgraded revenue and earnings forecast for 2017 also impacted the trading price positively. The shares peaked at a year-high of EUR 51.71 on October 4. The trading price fell back slightly at the end of the financial year as a result of profit-taking. As in the previous year, the highest volume of trades was again achieved via XETRA, which accounted for 80 percent on average.

Our investor relations work maintains a continuous and open exchange of information with all capital market players. Our goal is to establish transparency and to promote an understanding of our business model and of the value drivers within our strategy. The Board of Management sought a steady dialogue with existing and potential investors in the period under review. Both Chief Executive Officer Henry Brickenkamp and Chief Financial Officer Dirk Engel took part in capital market events, conferences and roadshows in Germany and internationally with that purpose in mind. As well regularly publishing up-to-date information about technotrans, the Board of Management held one-to-one meetings and interviews with analysts and business journalists. technotrans maintains the dialogue with private shareholders through the Annual General Meeting and personal contacts. The share performance increasingly attracted attention among investors in 2017. The marked progress in strategic further development is rated positively by six analysts (Bankhaus Lampe, M.M. Warburg, equinet, Hauck & Aufhäuser, HSBC Trinkaus und Burkhardt, and ODDO BHF). The analysts’ price targets for technotrans shares currently range between EUR 43 and EUR 56, and without exception represent recommendations to buy or hold. We provide a steady flow of information about active capital market work on the company’s website and post the regular publications and the financial calendar for the current year there.

The free float of technotrans shares at the reporting date of December 31, 2017 represents around 77 percent of the share capital. The biggest shareholders of technotrans AG are institutional investors with long-term investment horizons from Germany and other European countries.

The Board of Management and Supervisory Board will propose to the Annual General Meeting on May 18, 2018 that a dividend of € 0.88 per share be distributed for the past financial year of 2017. This represents a dividend yield of 2.0 percent, compared with 1.5 percent in the previous year. technotrans reached important milestones in its strategic further development in the year under review, as well as achieved pleasing revenue and profit growth. Our proposal ensures that our shareholders participate appropriately in the company’s profit performance, in keeping with our established dividend policy. The profit distribution policy envisages the distribution of up to 50 percent of consolidated net profit. Such a distribution is subject to the annual financial statements of technotrans AG showing an accumulated profit.